The key to effectively imparting wisdom is to avoid appearing as if one has completely mastered it. By acknowledging one's own struggles and failures, individuals can connect with others on a deeper level and make their advice more relatable. This approach creates a sense of solidarity and authenticity, which resonates with people, especially those seeking guidance. Despite the desire for meaningful advice, it is essential for mentors to offer insights humbly, without realizing the profound impact their words may have on others. This humility and authenticity in sharing experiences differentiate impactful mentors like Anne Rand or Jordan Peterson from those who simply provide advice without personal engagement.
David and Tamler dive into David Foster Wallace’s celebrated and surprisingly earnest Kenyon College commencement speech “This is Water”. How can we escape the prison and prism of our (literally) self-centered perspective? Can we choose to adjust our natural default settings, take a break from our running inner monologue, and pay attention to what’s in front of us right now? Is DFW appealing to Buddhist ideas or something more general that you can be found across all spiritual traditions?
Plus we ask the AI ethics program “Ask Delphi” some tough moral questions (spoiler alert: "just the tip" is "rude"), and almost get into a big fight about the potential of AI ethical robots (but we’re saving that argument for a future episode).
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